


I loved you, you know

by shortcake15



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Memories, Multi, Unrequited Love, Very Secret Diary, not diaries AGAIN shortcake, now with chapter two: bonus Link confusion!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-06 03:24:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14633079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shortcake15/pseuds/shortcake15
Summary: It started out as jealousy, as hatred- but staying in the same castle was bound to cause some sort of bonding between us.We became friends, even if it mostly meant that you were the first to see whichever new trick I came up with.You deserved far better than me, but you also deserved far more than her.I never really understood why you made your choice, though so many of the past 100 years have been spent guessing.(or: Revali looks back on the past, while Link struggles to piece it together)





	1. Chapter 1

It started out as jealousy, as hatred.

There was something I simply could  _ not _ accept about a  _ Hylian  _ being chosen by the Goddess, out of the blue, and being catapulted to the role of ‘instant hero’. 

Some of my first words to you were harsh, some of my first actions were over the top…

…especially a certain interaction on the Landing…

…they renamed that Landing after me, if only they knew…

This is a century belated, but I’d like to apologize for all of it now.

There was no way I could have held on to that initial hatred for long. So I only hope it’s not all you remember about me.

 

It wasn’t long before I started to catch glimpses of who you were off-duty- when you weren’t the Goddess’ Champion, or the Princess’ Knight.

And that was the Link I fell in love with.

 

You put so much effort into your training- more than even I did, and I did  _ not _ take such things lightly, by anyone’s standards. But you were a level beyond that- and had been that way ever since you were a child, apparently. 

Every once in a while, at breakfast, I noticed you wince a little as you moved. Each time, I felt that pain too. That ointment in your room, to help with the sore muscles? I’ll give you three guesses as to who it was from.

 

You loved to eat- from simple baked apples and meat skewers to the curry Daruk prepared with spices from his hometown (I also found it delicious at first taste, but it left me feeling sick by the time the night was over) and the fruitcake the princess had baked, and was all too happy to share.

The fruitcake was disgusting. Even  _ Mipha _ nearly spat it out, and she was, without a doubt, the most sensitive and polite of all of us. 

Back then, I wondered why you claimed to enjoy it. I know the reason now.

 

And finally, you were kinder to me that I ever deserved. 

Of course, staying in the same castle was bound to cause some sort of bonding between us, no matter how rude I was at first. But the way you always knew when I was trying to get out of a conversation, always knew when my confidence in myself was faked…and always called me out on it…was annoying at first, but quickly became something I appreciated.

Around you, I could be a little bit more genuine- whether that meant more bragging, or a little bit of worrying over the upcoming fight, or somewhere in between. And if I went too far, you gave me the most exaggerated look.

We were friends, even if it mostly meant that you were the first to see whichever new trick I came up with.

If I…say, performed my special move in plain sight, using it to scale the castle walls and land on a ledge far above, then fire an arrow straight into a target near (but not too near) you…you would clap, and wave up at me.

It was adorable.

I did this multiple times a day, mixing it up with different perches, different targets, different arrows- just to see your smile.

 

Do you remember the night Zelda set up an emergency outing to avoid her father? All the Champions spent it together, around a campfire in the middle of Hyrule Field.

Mipha told stories of a similar trip in the Zora’s Domain when you were children- with the entire “Big Bad Bazz Brigade”, if I’m recalling it right. You joined her enthusiastically, correcting a few details along the way.

Daruk tried to prepare (I hesitate to say ‘cook’) rock roast for everyone over the open fire. You were the only one who tried it.

Urbosa joked about how you were getting closer to the princess. You laughed it off, but I noticed you re-tucking her blankets over and over that night. I saw the kiss you left on her forehead when you  _ thought _ the rest of us had all fallen asleep.

I said nothing.

 

It was then that I felt the true weight of my initial hostility, paid the price of “Impressive, I know.”

You had chosen  _ her. _

_She,_ who had the purest of intentions, but always seemed to be dragging you _too far_ _along_ on her quest to prove herself. 

_ She  _ never realized when you were tired out.

You deserved far better than me, but you also deserved far more than  _ her. _

I never really understood why you made your choice, though so many of the past 100 years have been spent guessing.

 

Maybe it  _ was _ the rough beginning- but then again, she wasn’t exactly thrilled to get to know you at first, either. The two of you had some rather nasty arguments…still, none of them involved any sort of challenge on a Divine Beast you couldn’t reach.

Maybe you just didn’t think of men that way, in general. And that was fine…I could have learned to live with that- it wouldn’t have  _ hurt _ any less, but I would have gotten over it eventually.

I may never know the exact reason, but, especially now, does it really matter?

 

After that night, things became… _ different _ between us.

There were no rapid-fire taunts, no veiled insults (I had learned my lesson when it came to  _ those _ ) but there was a certain  _ distance _ .

I no longer showed off Revali’s Gale in the middle of group training sessions, or flew Medoh all the way from Tabantha to display our latest aerial stunts.

I spent fewer nights in the castle, and more alone. Most of time, that meant in the Flight Range, or aboard Medoh. 

Ask which one I preferred, and I wouldn’t be able to answer. The Flight Range might be warmer, but Medoh carried a feeling of comfort.

It was almost as if I wasn’t  _ entirely  _ alone.

 

I should have known that my leaving would affect you. After all, we had been getting closer, becoming friends, before that terrible kiss with the princess.

 

It shouldn’t have been a surprise when you turned up on Medoh one night (a clear night, similar to this one, actually).

I didn’t believe it. I was still bitter.

And so, I made one mistake.

I told you, in the most holier-than-thou tone that I could muster, that I didn’t accept challengers so late at night.

It was like the beginning, all over again.

I told you to leave me be, and you never came back.

 

I should have just said “I love you.”

Either way, any sort of good relationship between us would be ruined.

 

We didn’t exchange another word after that (little things like ‘pass the salt’ or ‘what time is the meeting today’ didn’t count)

My reputation as the outcast of the Champions grew. Your relationship with the princess grew.

And by a stroke of bad luck (a punishment straight from the Goddess, I’m sure) I ended up witnessing your confession.

From Medoh’s back, on my daily patrol, of all places to view it.

Yes, I was definitely being punished.

 

It was in the middle of a field of silent princesses. So that was why you had been reading so many books on gardening lately. Good going- everyone knew they were her favorites.

Of course, I couldn’t hear a word either of you said. But the hug she gave you spoke volumes.

It felt like hours before you broke apart, though somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it had probably been only a few seconds.

I just couldn’t look away.

 

Over the next few weeks, Urbosa’s smirks, Daruk’s shouts to “get a room”, and Mipha’s tiny giggles took up most of the Champion meetings.

As for me? I became more outspoken, more pompous and annoying than ever, in an attempt to hide that I had feelings for you in the first place.

It was the oblivious Daruk (despite the more observant Urbosa and Mipha begging him not to) who told me to head to the Lanayru Gate to see you and the princess off on your journey to the mountain.

Out of obligation, I tagged along.

Waiting for the two of you to return was torture- my mind would  _ not stop _ filling up with scenarios involving ‘happy birthday, Zelda!’ every five seconds, too many presents, and definitely not enough snow for the Lanayru Mountains in early spring.

You were only going to the Spring of Wisdom, and it was only to unlock her power.

My imagination was unrealistic, but did that matter?

So, by the time you came back, by the time that Ganon showed up…I was already halfway dead.

 

Don’t get me wrong- I rushed to Medoh as quickly as I could, and fought back as hard as I could against the Windblight. But when the tornadoes it created, too fast for me to avoid, knocked me to the ground, I barely felt a thing.

 

To be honest, I wasn’t sure if you would rescue me, whenever you managed to wake up. It wasn’t as if we had gotten along well near the end…

 

But you did come, 100 years later. I became the third of four spirits to be  _ freed _ . You killed the Blight, and I will always be grateful for that.

 

Thank you so much, Link.

 

You don’t remember anything, and I’m not even sure if this was intentional, but…

You hesitated a bit, after I gave you my power, as if you were waiting for me to say something.

I just talked about Medoh’s preparations, and the final attack, but…if there’s one thing I need to say now…

I loved you, you know. 

I still do.

 

So you had  _ better _ not die fighting Ganon. 

 

The other Champions will worry if you abuse their powers- and for good reason. But I don’t care  _ what  _ you do with the Gale. Who knows, maybe it’ll help bring back a few of the  _ good _ memories…

 

…this is getting off track. Just kill Ganon, and bring the princess back.

 

She’s been waiting an awful long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically, the idea for this story has been in the works for a long time...”I’ve also been waiting an awful long time” was originally meant to be more like this- until I decided that not-really-unrequited love would make a better plot point.
> 
> I hadn’t really revisited the idea of a truly unrequited Revalink story until earlier tonight, when I thought “wouldn’t it be great in first person?”
> 
> So here I am, with a first person, unrequited Revalink story at 2:30 in the morning. I loved, and hated, every moment of writing it!


	2. I remember you, you know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Link-centered ‘bonus chapter’ inspired by Vanitas’ comment, which somehow ended up becoming longer than the main story!

You would _think_ I would be used to these Beasts after freeing two of them.

Flying with a hundred-year-old, ghost-given paraglider, armed with bomb arrows, a nice bow borrowed from the village, and a distant memory one of our first meetings, I could _definitely_ take back Vah Medoh, right?

Of course, that wasn’t the case.

The cannon made a horrible whirring noise as it locked on- to Teba, not me, but that didn’t seem to make a difference, not when the beam was the same shade of red as the one that had nearly killed the princess so long ago…

 

…this wasn’t a Guardian, but it was in the same class, at least…

…one wrong move and it would knock both of us straight out of the sky without missing a beat…

…and Saki would cry just as Zelda had…

 

_Snap out of it, for Hylia’s sake! There are only four cannons, you’ll be fine if you don’t space out again…_

 

I thought that was Teba, so I nodded to him before heading for the first.

 

Sorry, but the Divine Beast you were so proud of has a rather weak defense system. In a matter of minutes, the cannons were destroyed and the shield taken down.

It seemed to get darker and darker as I landed on Medoh, which was strange and just a _bit_ frightening for a second, until I realized that the Malice covering it had gone.

That could only mean one thing- this was another memory. It was about time, since I still knew next to nothing about you……

Suffice it to say, learning more left me with more questions than answers.

* * *

 

“Revali?” I called out, but I already had a pretty good guess as to where on Medoh you were.

 

“Come on, you haven’t said a word to me in two weeks…”

 

As expected, you had been looking up at the stars again. So predictable…

 

“Was it something I did? Honestly, I can’t think of anything…or, is it ‘all because I happen to have that little darkness-sealing sword on my back?’ I thought you had gotten over that…”

 

Silence. You didn’t even turn around, for Hylia’s sake!

 

“…oh, come ON, say SOMETHING-”

 

“-it’s _late_.”

 

That- _that_ was the best reply you could give?

 

“Well, no DUH-“

 

“-I have a personal rule against taking challengers this late. Or did you think I would make an exception for Hyrule’s _favorite_ knight?”

 

With those words, I would expect a tone of contempt. The reality was worse. Maybe it was just a Rito quality, but you usually spoke as if you were on some sort of stage…this time, though, your voice was more bitter than the King’s favorite teas, and as empty as his cups always ended up. It was so harsh that it _physically_ stung, making me take just a few steps back…

 

“…no-no, that’s not why I’m here…I was worried, you kept on avoiding me, but you know, we’re _friends_ -”

 

For some reason, saying that only served to add in a dash of sadness.

 

“-yes, that’s it. _Friends_ . How _nice_ . I _love_ being your _friend_ . Let’s all hold hands, sing together, and stop the Calamity with the power of _friendship_ -”

 

Not once in the ‘conversation’ (if you could call it that) did you look me in the eye, or even turn around to face me.

 

“-a-are you all right?”

 

“I _would_ be if I was _alone_.”

 

And, so, I left. What else _could_ I do?

* * *

 

When I opened my eyes, they were already wet with tears, and I didn’t even know _why._

 

What had set you off like that?

Why had I cared enough to call you out on it?

Were we really friends?

 

It felt like a puzzle, with so many of the pieces lost over the last century.

 

Returning to the Medoh of reality, you greeted me just as the others had- maybe not with _all_ of Mipha’s gratitude or Daruk’s enthusiasm, but compared to what little I remembered, you were practically _welcoming._

 

There was something _else_ in your voice that I couldn’t quite place, and I would be lying if I said it didn’t gnaw at me as I tried to reach all of Medoh’s terminals (my past self seemed to have known it well, I wish I hadn’t lost that mental map)

 

All such thoughts, though, were forgotten when the Windblight appeared. Even you seemed frightened for me (I chalked it up to not wanting the only one who could free you to die) But in the grand scheme of things, it was rather weak.

I wonder what that said about the Champion it was designed to kill…

 

When it was gone, and you showed up for real, I-I’m not sure _what_ I expected, an explanation? an apology? some form of encouragement? a fight, even? Whatever it was, just talking about Medoh’s preparations and the final attack definitely wasn’t it. Your little speech was a complete letdown.

I had suspected it before, but _now,_ I was _completely_ certain that you were holding something back.

 

After you gave me your power, I just _stared_ at you, waiting…

…you didn’t say anything more.

* * *

 

“Tell me about Revali,” I demanded the second I returned to the village, cutting off Teba’s congratulations.

 

“Well…there really isn’t much I _can_ tell you. No one truly knows a lot about the Champion, since he left no descendants and had no close friends, at least among the villagers…” he said with a sigh. “It’s a shame, the secret of his technique seems to have been lost…”

 

“You call it a _technique_ ?” I thought of it as a _power_ , and you had presented it to me as a _skill_ …

 

“Of course…what else would it be? Rito aren’t born with his ability to create updrafts, you know. Apparently, he spend hundreds of hours perfecting it in the Flight Range…”

 

“So, that was where he spent most of his time?”

 

“...I _suppose_ …”

 

In that case, it was worth a shot.

* * *

 

Which came first- the platform that came to be known as Revali’s Landing, or its identical twin at the Flight Range?

Nobody was left who truly knew. It was like the Cucco and the egg all over again…

I know it sounds stupid, but it's one of the things I would ask you if I could.

To be honest, those sort of questions had been building up ever since I saw you on Medoh. And even more kept on coming now that I was in your training grounds-

 

-no, ‘training grounds’ didn’t cut it, you had called it your _sanctuary-_

-you would practice until your wing was too sore to hold a bow, and then sit on that deck watching the falling snow-

-if it still hurt in the morning, you ignored it and started again-

-because you wanted to prove-

 

-and _how_ in the _Goddess_ ’ name did I know _any_ of this?

 

I had managed to recover a few of my own location-based memories, but never anyone else’s…

 

…unless…

…unless they were shared?

 

No. No, for _that,_ we would have had to be far closer than the other memories implied…

 

You had kicked me out of Medoh, so I doubt I would have been allowed into the range…

 

…and besides, I was the _Princess’_ appointed knight. The vast majority of the memories I had gotten back revolved around her, and…well, I was pretty sure we had been a couple. We had spent so much time traveling together…I wouldn’t have left her to observe the training routine of a Champion who hated me.

 

It _felt_ wrong, too- unlike memories, which seemed to slowly take over, blurring my vision until I could _only_ see the past, these came suddenly, abruptly, in flashes of black and white, with no color, no context, just detail after miniscule detail-

 

-because they were _incomplete_.

 

There was no way I could be reclaiming memories that weren’t mine in the first place. If I knew these things, I must have observed them myself.

 

I felt lazy resting by the fire, like I could be doing something more- but then again, even that was bringing me back more and more. For instance, I could tell that the rug in the hut was new, the floor had been bare 100 years ago…or that the drawer had been moved to the right a few inches…nothing important, yet it scared me.

 

How well had I known you, if the image of your old Flight Range was burned into my mind so well?

 

_…burned into my mind…_

_…burned…_

 

Come to think of it, why did that floorboard look charred while the others around it were completely normal?

 

A simple press revealed that it was loose. It came out completely rather easily, opening up a space that just _barely_ fit the book inside.

 

_The Diary of Revali, the Rito Legend._

 

Of _course_ you were the type to hide things in secret panels.

 

The first few pages about winning the range made me smile, the next couple insulting me made me cringe, and I nearly dropped the book the first time you (grudgingly) complimented me.

 

_I haven’t gotten much sleep ever since moving to the castle. That knight keeps on training outside, every night. His dedication is…admirable, and I can’t exactly find a fault with his form…maybe it makes sense that the sword chose him._

 

When I turned the page to keep on reading, though, I actually _did_ drop it.

 

_But neither of those explains why he’s such a distraction…I have no excuse for watching him so often and so late…I hate to say it, but that may be because he’s…SLIGHTLY adorable._

 

Slightly? _Adorable??_

 

_The Castle has archery training grounds. Not at all like my sanctuary, but there is one bonus- the Champions practice hand to hand combat in the field next to it. Which means, of course, that I wasted no time shooting down from ledges high up on the castle walls to get their attention._

_Daruk referred to this barrage of bomb arrows as “background noise”, Mipha and Urbosa pretended it didn’t exist, but that knight clapped for me._

_Well, he did the first time. The second, he said, was, and I quote, “going overboard.”_

_It was one of the first times I heard him talk- just for a complaint?_

_I took that as “needs more variety.” Perhaps I can find ice or flame arrows in Castle Town?_

 

 _I just returned from the castle yesterday, but the princess and her knight already came to visit the Flight Range today. I gave them an (admittedly, rather short) tour before directing them towards the village. To my surprise,_ _~~her knight~~ _ _Link stayed behind. He asked about the different bows I kept, tried a few shots in the range, and clapped suitably after watching me take out all the targets with ease. So, I felt inclined to show him something more interesting than a hut and some targets in a perpetual Hebran blizzard, and of course, the only thing around that would qualify was Medoh._

_To my relief, Medoh and I pulled off a perfect flip, loop, and barrel roll before landing to pick him up. Link seemed curious about it, so I generously let him lead the way and explore it (fine, I may have pushed in front of him at a few points, but only to stop him from going into dead ends)._

_The princess was extremely disappointed after hearing that he went into a Divine Beast without her. I do feel a bit rude for leaving her out, especially since she loves ancient technology so much…but I was glad to have spent the time with Link._

_And yes, Snowquill armor suited him perfectly._

_I…have never had a friend like him before. And he still doesn’t talk much. But I could very easily get used to it._

 

So that explained just a bit of why I knew both the range and Medoh so well…

The same cheerfulness persisted throughout the next few entries, from the village to the castle and back. But soon, like all good things, it came to an abrupt end.

 

_He loves the princess. Dear Hylia, is he insane?_

_URBOSA said that they would make a good couple, which should have been his number one clue to steer clear. She keeps on dragging him off on trips to this shrine or that spring or those ruins, relying on him to stop all the monsters along the way, without thinking of how exhausting that could be. If Mipha wasn’t a damn ENABLER, healing him when she isn’t around, he would fall apart!_

_Still, it’s obvious that he cares about her. Deeply. I can’t deny that anymore…not after he kissed her tonight._

_…I still love him. Dear Hylia, am I insane?_

 

My breath caught in my throat.

 

 _“Stayed at the Flight Range”_ and _“Took Medoh on patrol”_ took the place of genuine writing for the next few pages. The next proper entry was- yes, dated two weeks later.

 

_I can now conclude that the answer to my previous question is, undoubtedly. As in, I am undoubtedly insane._

_Through a combination of staying on Medoh as much as I could, eating enough curry to give me stomach pains, and training as relentlessly as possible, I managed to avoid him for the past fourteen days. However, I didn’t consider how loyal he was to his friends. Of course he would want to check up on me, of course he would worry after being ignored for what would look like no reason…so, he did what anyone would do and came to confront me._

_And what did I say in return? Did I decide to be honest and confess? Did I come up with a plausible excuse for staying away from him?_

_No, I told him I didn’t accept challengers this late. I told him to leave me alone, in the worst way possible._

_In effect, I burnt the last bridge leading back to our friendship._

_I have always treasured that friendship, even though I wanted more…just being your friend would have made me far happier than I deserve…_

_So why? Why did I go and ruin that, too?_

_I would tell you that if I knew._

_Shock, disbelief, frustration…I suppose I could try to explain it away like that, but I’m still not convinced that there was a proper reason._

_Goddess, I really am insane…_

_He looked both confused and hurt as he left- betrayed, maybe? That face will torment me forever._

_It’s not my place to say this at all, especially now, but I never want to see that expression on him ever again._

 

Maybe I should have read on, learned of _confessions to princesses with silent princesses_ and _giggles that nearly make me vomit_ and _my unrealistic imagination_ and _denial, the worst coping mechanism in the world,_ but I had intruded on your privacy enough.

 

And besides, I couldn’t read through tears.

Had I…never known, or even guessed, about your feelings?

Something in my gut said _yes._

The diary had brought on a flood of memories, of you, of _all_ the Champions…and I had a hard time breathing again. You-you were _all_ so… _alive_ , animated, bright- all the way to the end…

 

It wasn’t my fault that you had ended up lashing out that night…but maybe, there could have been a better solution? The earlier entries were so bright. We were _friends!_ You even said you had “always treasured that!”

 

I could have preserved that friendship, I could have handled the situation better, I should have realized how you felt-

-no, it wasn’t worth dwelling on. Not now.

 

I loved you too, you know…in a different way, but still…

I-I’m sorry that we didn’t die as friends…

I won’t forget you…

 

In the “perpetual Hebran blizzard,” I thought I heard _I’m sorry too._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope Revali’s not too OOC...I feel like I was pushing the boundaries with that diary.
> 
> Regarding Zelda: No. No, she is nowhere near as bad as Revali makes her sound in either chapter. He has a biased view on her for obvious reasons...
> 
> Oh, yes, and I have a very new tumblr now! [sure-shortcake](https://sure-shortcake.tumblr.com)


End file.
